Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Nudibranch - A Colorful Ocean Creature


Not quite sure what you're looking at? Some kind of underwater glass sculpture, perhaps? Actually, it's the nudibranch, a type of mollusk that lives in the ocean. They can be found at all depths, but prefer warm, shallow waters.




Nudibranches are known for their beautiful, colorful designs. There are more than 3,000 forms of this carnivorous species, which feeds on sponges, sea slugs and, occasionally, each other.



The name nudibranch comes the Latin nudus, which means "naked" and the Greek brankhia, which means "gills".

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